Hello Compleat Angler friends! Those anglers that have braved the colder weather have still been finding Trout locally and are currently experiencing good water clarity and flows for wading. Most of the action is going to be subsurface with nymphs and streamers, however on warmer afternoons you might encounter small Black Stoneflies in sizes 18-20. The exception to the hatches is the Winter Caddis which you may encounter during the morning hours. Our saltwater fishing has slowed considerably, but the Housatonic is seeing Stripers push up the river in preparation for wintering over. They will be pushing into the mouth of the river during the tidal movements, and having an intermediate sinking line with a variety of Clousers will be the key to success. If fishing by boat you can use a more aggressive sinking line as fish will be concentrated towards the bottom, especially further upriver. Read on for more…

Connecticut

Local Rivers

Flows are slightly above average on our local rivers and streams with good clarity and flows for wading. For example, the Saugatuck is flowing at 158 CFS. While the Saugatuck is still fishing well, the Mianus has slowed a bit, with some anglers catching a couple fish per outing. While most of the fishing this time of year is going to be subsurface with nymphs and streamers, on some of the warmer afternoons you may find small black Stoneflies hatching, however the fish will usually rise sporadically. Your best bet is going to be nymphs: try Zebra Midges, Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, Caddis Larvae, Hare’s Ears, and Perdigones in sizes 14-24. A double nymph rig is a good way to cover multiple columns of the water or offer multiple options; fishing a larger fly as your point fly will help get your dropper down to an appropriate depth without the use of split shot. Streamers will still be working, and try a slower retrieve during those colder mornings. Smaller Wooly Buggers can either be used on a Floating or Sinking line.One of our favorite streamer lines for is theAirflo Streamer Max Short,as well as theScientific Anglers Sonar Trout. The short head loads rods well for our smaller rivers when you are often targeting the opposite bank and sinking the fly quickly into the strike zone. When nymphing and dry fly fishing in our smaller river and streams we like having a shorter leader, such as theRio Powerflex in 7.5ft. Both 5x and 6x will have you covered for most dry fly and nymphing scenarios. In addition, at the end of your dead-drift let your nymphs swing to the bank as this will imitate an emerging insect. Trout will be grouped together in the deeper holding lies, so where you catch one you will find more. Areas to consider include the Saugatuck, Mianus, Mill, and Aspetuck Rivers. There are still fish to be had from Spring holdovers and Fall stockings.

Naugatuck River

The Naugatuck and Shetucket were stocked with Atlantic Salmon and Trout in the Trout Management Areas. Flows are currently clear and good for wading, reading 505 CFS. Having some junk flies will catch the less educated stocked fish and look to fish similar offerings we are using on our local streams: Caddis, Blue Winged Olives, and Midges. Bring some Tan Caddis patterns in sizes 14-18 as October Caddis will be hatching. With respect to other insects, having a range of sizes from 12-24 in nymphs/dries will have you covered, as well as egg patterns for this time of year. Fishing drab colored Woolly Buggers and streamers 3-5” will also work for the more aggressive fish. The Naugatuck is a good alternative for areas with more crowds/pressure. When targeting Salmon, your traditional Atlantic Flies and hairwing streamers will work: Grey Ghosts, Blue Charms and Mickey Finns. Don’t be afraid to throw some larger intruders and flashy streamers in Pink, Black, Blue, and Purple, especially after they’ve just finished stocking. Try swinging these streamers slowly as you first fish the pool, and if you don’t get any takes, switch to a faster retrieve/swing. The fish will let you know what they prefer. There will most likely be another Atlantic Salmon stocking this month so stay tuned.

Farmington River

West Branch flows on the Farmington at Riverton are reading 257 CFS while the Still has dropped to 147 CFS. Flows are currently clear and easy for wading access. The afternoons into the evening have been more consistent for bug activity, and the two main hatches you will encounter are Blue Winged Olives in sizes 20-26, and Midges in sizes 22-26. Additionally, you may see some Winter Caddis in sizes 14-20 during the mornings. Water temperatures will fluctuate in the low to mid 40s depending on the time of day. Brown Trout are finishing up their spawn but take care to avoid stepping on Redds and disturbing the remaining spawning fish. This time of year, you will find fish podded up below spawning beds, so bringing a variety of egg patterns will be effective. Now is also the time to throw larger streamers as trout search for higher calorie meals in post spawn leading into the winter. Bringing some larger streamers can also result in finding some nice trophy fish 20” and over. Now is a good time for our Trout Spey anglers to break out theSkagit Heads andT Tips which will turn over larger intruders and streamers. Fishing a wet fly swung on aless aggressive sinking tip can pull additional fish during the afternoon when insects will be emerging. The same can be said for those nymphing with single handers: swinging nymphs at the end of your drift can simulate an emerging insect. Twitching jigged streamers through a run can also be a deadly technique. For nymphing, junk flies will catch the recently stocked Trout (Mops and Squirmies) in addition to Stoneflies in sizes 8-12. One technique is to use these larger flies as your point nymph paired with a smaller dropper nymph: Pheasant Tails in sizes 12-18, Caddis Larva 14-18, Perdigones 12-20, Hare’s Ears 14-18, and Zebra Midges in 18-24. These nymphs are all safe bets from Fall and well into Winter, and will be the most productive method. In terms of rigging, look to use 5x-6xFluorocarbon when nymphing, andNylon 5x-7x when dry fly fishing. During normal-low flows, and especially with smaller flies, it pays off to have a stealthy leader in the10-12’ range which will aid in a delicate presentation. Staying into the evening can result in some good spinner falls. With all the variety of bug activity, soft hackling can be a productive option as well.Remember to not high or low hole anyone. Let’s be respectful to other anglers. Good luck! Keep in mind:Please report any suspicious activity and poaching to DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

Housatonic River

The Housatonic is gradually dropping since last week but still high, reading 1260 CFS at Falls Village, and most sections will be too high to wade. The park will be at fishable levels, just make sure to be cautious when wading. Your main hatch will be Blue Winged Olives in sizes 20-26, Midges in the same size, and Caddis in sizes 14-20. Your best bet for dry fly fishing will be during the afternoon when water temperatures, and therefore bug and fish activity, are highest. During the mornings nymphing still remains the most effective method. For nymphing with an indicator (we’ve had great feedback on theOros Stike Indicators) a 9ft taperedfluorocarbon leader in 5x-6x is recommended. Nymphs to consider bringing include Caddis Larvae, Prince Nymphs, Hare’s Ears, Waltz Worms, Perdigones, and Yellow/Golden Stoneflies in sizes 12-18. For smaller nymphs, Zebra Midges in 18-24 will fool fish well into Fall and throughout Winter. Since Brown and Brook Trout are currently spawning, be on the lookout to avoid stepping on Redds or disturbing paired up fish. That said, trout will be podded up downriver of spawning beds, so it will be worth bringing egg patterns. With trout looking for higher calorie meals, streamer fishing will also be effective so bringing some larger streamers may prove useful. If you are fishing articulated neutrally buoyant streamers (Mini Dungeons, Drunk and Disorderly, Circus Peanuts, etc), you will want to pair these with asinking line and a short 5’ leader tapered from20lb to 10lb. For our floating line Streamer Anglers, consider drab colored Conehead Woolly Buggers paired with a 9ft 2x leader. Now is also a good time for our Trout Spey anglers to consider throwing larger patterns during the afternoon in combination with swinging wet hackles in the mornings and evenings.

Saltwater

Overall, the Striper fishing nearshore has started to taper off as migratory fish move down the coast. The main action recently has been resident schoolie Stripers blitzing on Peanut Bunker around coves and harbors with some nicer fish in the mid 30” mixed in. Most of the bait is going to be concentrated near the mouths of rivers and coves. A good tide to focus on in this scenario is the outgoing one. The Norwalk River and Housatonic will provide some Striper action. Most recently, the Housatonic has increased with Striper activity as fish stage near the mouth and push upriver. The most consistent action is during dusk and dawn, and moving tide is an important part of the equation. A variety of baitfish imitations will interest fish on either an intermediate or sinking line, however another effective method is covering water with a popper that will create a lot of disturbance, such as a Bob’s Banger, orlarger offerings that will create sound and draw attention. Every day has been different as Stripers have started their migration, and for our wade anglers the Housatonic, Westport beaches, and Southport are good hunting grounds for them. This time of year, it is worth casting along the beaches as the bait will push out and travel along the beach with Stripers in pursuit. Other areas to consider include Calf Pasture, Penfield Reef, Veterans Park, and Todd’s Point. While blitzes can erupt at any time, and seemingly out of nowhere, we like to focus on mornings and evenings, low light conditions, as well as tide movement. Bluefish have moved out of our area, so no need to bring wire. For your standard Striper leader, we prefer a leader7’ of 16-20lb, and if using poppers, you may extend your leader by a couple more feet.

Hot Flies:
Deceivers in various colors
Clousers
Bay Anchovy Patterns
Peanut Bunker Patterns
Medium Sized Bunker Flies
Epoxy Sardine (Great Albie Fly)
Bob’s Banger (Stripers and Bluefish)

Good Fly Lines For Fall:
SA Full Intermediate
Wulff Monoclear (For picky Albie days)
Rio Outbound Short (Good for big flies and big winds)
Rio Striper (Good all-rounder)

Please report any poaching to the DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

New York

Salmon River

We have higher flows on the Salmon River, just shy of 2000 CFS and clocking in at 1970 CFS at Pineville, which means the DSR is currently open. Most of the Steelhead activity has been reported in the upper parts of the river, while the lower river has seen more sporadic activity. The occasional Brown Trout has been caught in the lower to middle sections of the river. The tributaries are just starting to see Steelhead push in, and have seen some impressive Brown Trout fishing so far. In regard to Steelhead, it’s all a matter of covering water and finding pods of fish that are holding and willing to cooperate. For Steelhead it is worth bringing2x-3x fluorocarbon when nymphing. The most popular flies are going to be different colored Glo Bugs, Stoneflies, Squirmies, Steelhead Slammers, Rushers Steelhead Nymph, Wooly Buggers and Egg Sucking Leeches. Some steelhead anglers are having success swinging the lower parts near the estuary with large brightintruders in Pink, Black, Purple, and Blue/Chartreuse.Beads in different colors will also work well (such as Chartreuse and Mottled Tangerine), so switching up flies/colors and techniques will be the key to success. As a bonus, these flies will also work on Brown Trout. Having amicro barrel swivel incorporated into your leader will help avoid splitshot sliding down your leader, and will aid in quicker rerigging during breakoffs and snags. For our two handed anglers, Skagit has been the most productive method, and we like Rio’sSkagit Max Power head combined with either amono orcoated running line. Having a variety ofMOW Tips is helpful too, so you can fine tune the depth of your fly based on flows, depth, and current. For tippet, we like usingMaxima Ultragreen in 10lb when swinging flies. Now that the weather is getting colder and into the low 30s, it will be beneficial to bring a good layering system as well as a pair of warmfingerless gloves.

Saltwater

Anglers are still getting into Stripers as they migrate along the coast, and focusing on the bays and beach fronts you will encounter fish crashing Peanut Bunker. This is most concentrated along the South Shore, while the North Shore and Montauk have slowed considerably. Most of these Stripers are in the schoolie size, however boat anglers have been finding larger fish on the outside of the feeding frenzies further from the beaches. The Peanut Bunker are in the 3-5” range, so using small deceivers, or EP Peanut Butters will be your best imitations paired with an intermediate or full sinking line. Don’t overlook poppers, as they will be working well when Stripers are feeding in rafts up high. Striper fishing should continue to taper off as fish migrate further South into New Jersey, which still has the bulk of the migration. For now, most of the New York concentration of fish are being found around Fire Island and further West.